There were loud clangs and the sound of metal hitting metal. All the knights were fighting against the sudden ambush that no one was prepared for. They were up against a party of twenty to their party of six with a woman and a man servant. The knights have forced Deannette and Merlin in the corner where they are trying to guard them. There were five people of the ambush party left and without them knowing that there was another man up on the edge of the cliff where Deannette and Merlin were down below up against the wall of it. The man picked up a small boulder and dropped it down trying to aim at Deannette. At the last minute Merlin looked up and saw the boulder and shoved Deannette out of the way and took it to the head instead of her.
In Camelot
Deannette was taken to a room so she could freshen up and change her clothes before she sees Uther. In the mean while when they got back to Camelot Merlin was taken to Gaius. When Merlin was hit on the head with that small boulder he was unconscious for a while. And when he came to he remembered everyone…..except Deannette herself.
(flashback)
Deannette looked up from where Merlin had pushed her and saw that Merlin was now laying on the ground with a bit of blood coming from the gash wound on his head. She did what she could to stop the bleeding by taking off her top jacket and gently but firmly pressing it to Merlin's head wound. When she got the bleeding to stop she had Merlin lying on his side just in case he got nauseous when he woke up. When all the other men were done fighting and Arthur and his knights came out triumphant, they came over to see how they were. When she told them of what had happened, Arthur and Lancelot took a look at Merlin's wound. When Arthur gently touched the edge of it, is when Merlin came to. When he got his barrings back he looked around. When he came to look at Deannette he said something that tore at her from the inside.
"Hi I'm Merlin. And who are you? And why is my head in your lap?" Everyone but Merlin was shocked. They didn't know what to do so there stood a silent pause when finally the silence was broken by Arthur.
"Merlin? You do not remember her?" Merlin looked at Arthur with a questioning glance then back at Deannette.
"No. I haven't seen her in my life. Why?" Arthur then looked at Deannette and saw how conflicted she was. He looked back at Merlin and took a deep sigh. "Merlin.." Deannette cut Arthur off.
"Arthur it is fine. It may be for the best in the long run anyways." She stood up and looked at her jacket, which had Merlin's blood on it. "Besides, no use in forcing him to remember something that was knocked out of him, right?" She gave a forced chuckle. She rolled her jacket up and put it in her bag that was connected to Merlin's horse.
Arthur looked between Merlin and Deannette. "Alright. Sense you aren't accustomed to riding you can ride with me and Merlin will ride with Lancelot. With a head wound we don't need him getting dizzy and falling off causing even more damage." Arthur walked and took the reins of Merlin's horse and tied them to the saddle of his own. He helped Deannette onto his horse, climbed up behind her and they started off towards Camelot. All the while Deannette is trying to keep a mask of indifference on.
"Hey Merlin? You really don't remember her do you?" Lancelot asked as he and Merlin made their way behind Arthur and Deannette on his horse.
"Of course I don't. Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Merlin asked with annoyance and yet there was a hint of curiosity mixed in there.
Lancelot decided not to answer and kept quiet. When they got to Camelot all the knights noticed the different air that was surrounding her. And if they looked close enough, they would have noticed that she was trying her damn hardest not to show how much it truly affected her.
(End flashback)
Deannette walked over to the window of the room she was in and looked out beyond the city. When she heard a knock on the door she went and saw that it was a servant girl.
"Yes?" When she spoke she heard her own voice. What she heard almost made her cringe. It was empty and void.
"M'Lady? I am here to help you dress to have audience with the King." The servant girl bowed. Deannette was tempted to give her the same lecture she gave Merlin. But she decided against it and allowed her in. "What color would you like to wear M'Lady?"
The servant girl went over and opened the wardrobe and was waiting for Deannette's answer. Instead of an answer she asked a question. "What is your name?"
"My name is Guinevere M'Lady." Gwen said and curtsied. Deannette looked over and studied her for a bit then answered her first question.
"Purple would be nice. If possible, with a red sash around my waist." Deannette looked and saw Gwen pulling out a dark purple dress that looked like it would fit well and a bright red sash about five feet long. When she was fully dressed in the dress with the red sash around her waist and she looked into a mirror she didn't know what to think. She saw that with the purple that dark and rich that her white cream skin color popped out more and with the red to made her look as if she belonged in one of those romantic novels she would read in her time. Guinevere did her hair up in a messy yet kept bun with strands of her hair hanging down framing her face and brushing her shoulders. She turned around and noticed that the dress was a pretty good fit. Just the chest part was a bit small for her bosom. Considering that she was gifted there naturally the dress wasn't half bad. It hides what needed to be hiding. Guinevere even put a bit of red stain on her lips and Deannette put a bit of her own turquoise eye liner around her eyes. Which made her multi colored hazel eyes pop even more.
"M'Lady are you ready to go and met the King?" Deannette turned and looked at Guinevere. She seemed a bit nervous but happy all the same.
"Do you think this isn't a bit much?" Deannette looked back at the mirror. "I am not used to dressing in dresses and I am not sure what would be considered proper or not."
Gwen could not believe what she heard. A lady not used to wearing dresses? She had never heard of such a thing. "Yes you look quit proper M'Lady. You wear dresses well and I bet all the knights and the King would think so as well."
Deannette did an internal sigh. Everyone back home would kill to see me dressed in such a way. Especially Ilona. "Alright let us go meet the King." With that Guinevere lead Deannette to the main room and told the knight there on duty that she was ready to meet with King Uther. Deannette stood there and waited for the King to give his ok to let her in. When she was finally let in to have audience with the King she went in with her head held high and her mask firmly in place.
When Uther saw the woman enter, he was surprised. From what Arthur had told him about her he was not expecting what he was seeing. He saw a young Lady with fair skin that was blemish free, rosy cheeks, brunette hair with multiple brown highlights, a full hour glass figure and eyes that could make any sane man go crazy. This is the woman my son and knights found in the forest who knew how to gut, de-bone, and prepare a rabbit for cooking? Not to mention that she was apparently using language that made some of my knights re think about how they speak. Uther stood up and went to greet her. When he got to her he grabbed her hand and bowed over it.
"M'Lady. It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. I am a surprised though that you were found without an escort." Uther looked up and saw a painted on smile that was as cold as the castle floors in the winter.
Deannette curtsied and tried to put on her best smile for the King. "Your highness. I am alone for the fact that in my kingdom, there is a sickness whipping out my family and people. I was sent off to find a possible cure for it." When she stood straight again she looked Uther in the eye.
Uther was not used to women looking him in the eyes with such confidence that he could just smile and go back to his throne. "Yes my son has told me about that. Also, that you are exceptional at a few skills that I only know my knights to have. Could you explain that to me?" When Uther was sitting down he kept a calculating gaze on Deannette. He didn't see anything that would make her an enemy to him and his kingdom. But he learned that looks are always deceiving.
Deannette noticed that he was examining her and looking for any flaws that would make him think that she was an enemy spy or something. Little do they know that I have mastered the skill of reading and manipulating people by knowing how they think. And the people of this time are no different. Besides the fact that they do not know that one can study how the human brain acts and how people actually see others. This will be easier than tricking any well known therapist I have come up against. *chuckles* who would have known that my natural skill of reading people and my studies in Psychology could have come in handy in such a way?
"Your highness. I am from a land far off to the north where women are expected to know certain skills that one here must think are for men and knights alone. If a women did not know such skills not only is she not much marriage material to a good husband, but also for the fact that if for some un-seeable reason the husband is bed ridden, she would be incapable of temporarily defending what he has worked hard for to make his life and family." Deannette explained without a single stutter and kept her eyes locked on his.
On the right side against the wall Merlin was there with Gaius. Merlin kept getting this weird feeling every time this Deannette would speak. He didn't know why but he felt that the way her voice was, is not how it should be. Merlin also could not keep his eyes off of her face. He also had a feeling that the mask she was wearing was not supposed to be there. That she was supposed to be and act different than how she was now. Merlin made his way over to Arthur's side and looked at him noticing that he was wearing a face of concern and a bit of pity as he too was looking at Deannette. Merlin looked away from Arthur and back over to the Lady. Then when the meeting was over and Uther had announced that she would be staying in Camelot for as long as she needed, all the knights left and Uther left. Merlin finally leaned over and asked Arthur a question.
"Arthur? Why do I get the feeling that something is off with this Lady Deannette?" Arthur looked at Merlin and had a slight scowl on his face.
"Her name is Lady Hallows. And yes you would be right. When we meet her she was all smiles, emotions and the like." Arthur walked off and left the room. Down the hall when Arthur and Merlin got there they noticed that Deannette was talking to Morgana. Morgana seemed to be trying to be kind. But Deannette wasn't giving the gesture back and instead walked off after a brief dismissal. Merlin did not know how to feel or what to think. Something in the back of his mind keeps trying to make itself known. "Merlin, I want you to be nice to her. She has recently gone through something hard for her." Arthur and Merlin made it to Arthur's room and got Arthur ready for bed. Too bad Merlin doesn't know that it is basically his fault that she is this way. It wasn't intentional, but none the less she is hurting because of it. Merlin why did you have to get hurt and forget?
Back in Deannette's now Permanent yet temporary room she was sitting on the windowsill with silent tears leaking out of her eyes. When Guinevere came in she was surprised to see the tears running down Lady Hallow's cheeks. "M'Lady? Is everything alright?" Deannette looked over at Guinevere and gave a heart breaking smile. Guinevere inhaled a sharp breath and made her way over.
"No. Not everything is alright. Sit down Guinevere so we can talk. Woman to woman." Guinevere sat down and waited for Deannette to start. "Haven't you ever meet someone and from the first moment you met you had a feeling that you have known them your whole life?" When Guinevere nodded Deannette continued. "Then imagine that in the blink of an eye, that very person forgot everything about you and doesn't remember who you are, everything you talked about and shared. And having to pretend that it doesn't hurt knowing that you are no longer a part of their lives and yet think to yourself 'maybe it is for the best.'" When Deannette finished she got up and went behind the screen and got out of the dress and hung it over the top of the screen. When she came back out she was wearing a long short sleeved night dress of white silk. She also noticed that Guinevere was in tears as well now. She walked over and put and arm around her shoulders and they both sat there in silence and let the tears flow.
What pain that must be to have found someone you can share everything with, that you felt as if you knew one another for your entire lives, and to have that ripped away from you. How could one just not try to get it all back?
"M'Lady. Why don't you try to get back what you have lost? Start anew?" Guinevere looked at Deannette's face and saw another sad smile.
"Because Guinevere, where I am from we may not care where your blood line is from or if you were born royal or not, but he and I….he will be safer and happier this way." With that she got up and went to the canopy bed and pulled back the curtains, she turned back at Guinevere. "Please wake me as early as you can. I wish to speak with this Gaius fellow." She got in the bed and pulled the curtains back closed.
"Yes M'Lady." Guinevere went to leave; she took a last look towards the bed and walked out closing the door silently behind her. When Deannette thought she was gone far enough, she let everything out. She didn't hear the silent footsteps stop at her door. Didn't hear the slight creek of the door opening, and was not aware of the person standing there listening to her tearful sobs. When Deannette finally cried herself to sleep, the person left the room and closed the door when he was run over by another servant.
"Oh I'm sorry Merlin I didn't see you there." Merlin straightened himself out and gave a wave.
"It's fine. No harm done." And he was off to go and talk to Gaius about why he had the nagging feeling in the back of his head and also why when he heard Lady Hallows crying, why it felt as if his heart was breaking in half.
